The Nvidia Shield TV is one of the best streaming devices. It is a very powerful streaming player, with the cutting-edge AI upscaling technology. Its support for Dolby Vision and HDR10 increases the overall viewing experience. Its design is very different from other streamers, it seems like a flashlight at first glance. In this Nvidia Shield TV review article we will talk about its overall design, performance etc. With this you will have an idea on: should you buy the Nvidia Shield TV or not.
Nvidia Shield TV Review: Price
The Nvidia Shield TV streaming device is available on Amazon and Nvidia’s website. You can check the price here.
Nvidia Shield TV: Design
The new Nvidia Shield TV is different in design than other streaming devices. It isn’t a stick or dongle that hangs from an HDMI port on the back side of your TV. It is a 6.5 by 1.6-inch black plastic cylinder, which seems like a flashlight if you see it for the first time.
In terms of ports, it has a number of ports that can fit for your needs. One end of the cylinder holds the power cable, then we have an Ethernet port and the other end holds a microSD card slot, an HDMI port and a reset button.
This plastic tube streaming device will be plugged into a power outlet from one end, and your TV from the other end. The device will sit behind your TV or floor.
The streamer holds an Nvidia Tegra X1+ processo. It is a more advanced version of the Tegra X1 that was used in the previous Shield TV. It features 2GB of RAM and 8GB of storage and you will not get any USB ports on it. If you want more powerful and better performance, you can check the Shield TV Pro. It uses the same chassis as the past Shield TV and offers 3GB of RAM and 16GB of storage, as well as two USB 3.0 ports, with gameplay recording and broadcast to Twitch.
Nvidia Shield TV: Remote
The new Shield TV comes with an improved remote control. Whereas previous Shield TVs had remotes, Nvidia also included controllers, which were the primary way Nvidia expected users to interact with the system. But the Shield TV does not include a controller. It is not a deal-breaker, you can now connect any controller you want like Xbox One controllers, DualShock 4 controllers.
The remote is completely redesign and it comes in black triangular prism with 2 rows of circular buttons down the front. You will get circular direction controls with a confirm button in the middle as well as all the standard buttons (play/pause, fast-forward etc.). There is also a dedicated button for Netflix.
Nvidia Shield TV: Performance
This is a powerful streaming device, with Tegra X1+ processor, 2GB of RAM, 8GB of storage and support for Dolby Atmos and Vision. With this we get very good video performance.
The Shield TV loads 4K HDR content very fast, it loads much faster than its $50 competitors like Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K or Roku Streaming Stick Plus. If you have fast Wi-Fi, then it offers you 802.11 ac support.
Nvidia has programmed a proprietary form of AI upscaling, now you will ask, what is AI upscaling? So here we give you a simple answer, that the Shield TV employs an algorithm so that 1080p pictures look more like 4K images, both in motion and when paused. You can set this AI upscaling to low, medium or high, or you can completely turn it off.
Should you buy the Nvidia Shield TV ?
Buy it if…
If you want a powerful streaming device.
The Nvidia Shield TV is one of the most powerful streaming devices. It is a premium 4K HDR/Dolby Vision streaming player. It can be best for your needs.
If you want a crisp and clear streamer.
In this streamer you will get AI upscaling functionality, which means with the AI upscaling it really focuses on the small details in a scene and gives you the best viewing experience.
Don’t buy it if…
If you want a budget-friendly or cheap streaming device.
The Shield TV is one of the most powerful devices no doubt, but it is quite costly as well. So if you don’t want to spend too much money on a streaming device then you should consider other streaming devices.
